...on life, music, sports, and whatever else strikes my fancy.

April 15, 2011

Blue Lake 2011

It's almost time for Guys' Week at Blue Lake (let's be honest, it hasn't been a 'weekend' in years), which means it's time for another Guys' Week CD. This year the guys were tasked with finding songs that reminded them of the other guys in the group. Basically each of the seven guys would come with six songs. Jim passed this along to me so I could come up with my own CD that we can listen to as we drive up to Vancouver for the SunRun 10k. Some of these were easy, others took a lot of thought, but in the end I'm happy with my selections. In alphabetical order by first name:

David - Pearl Jam "Even Flow"For as long as I've known David he's been a big fan of Pearl Jam. He's the only person I know that collected import CDs to have in his collection. My song for him is a classic Pearl Jam song.

Jerry - Johnny Cash "I Walk the Line"I really hope I remember this story correctly, otherwise this pick will make no sense. Someone broke into Jerry's truck and stole his stereo. The thief left Jerry's Johnny Cash CD, to the point that he ejected the one that was in the player at the time. For Jerry, one of Johnny Cash's best.

Jim - Gary Allan "Man of Me"The first time I heard this song I was amazed at how many things in the lyrics applied to Jim. Time in the Navy, dissatisfaction with high school, misadventures of youth, love for me. I sent him the lyrics one day and he agreed that there were a lot of similarities between his life and this song. A great song by one of my favorite country artists.

Kris - Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand "Dream Big"This was definitely the hardest one to find. Kris and I have a lot in common, but none of those things translate into songs. I thought of a couple of songs, but they seemed inadequate or inappropriate. Our musical tastes don't cross in many places, but we have gone to a couple of concerts together. Unfortunately even songs from those artists didn't really fit the bill. After letting my subconscious work on it for a while, this story popped back into my head.

Kris works as a music programming director, so bands occasionally come into his office to play for the staff in hopes of getting into a rotation. Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband came into his office, and he mentioned how great they were, and how much he liked their music. This song was popular at the time, and I liked it too. I wish they had found greater success, but it would seem they are relegated to one-hit wonder status. If you like this song you should also check out the follow-up, "Banjo Boy", it's a hoot.

Larry - Buster Poindexter "Hot Hot Hot"The very first time we met Larry was at "The House" to watch the NCAA basketball final in 1991. Someone in the room said, "The party can start now, Larry's here!" That has just stuck with me all these years, and then is the best "party" song I know of.

Pat - Gary Wright "Dream Weaver"At a group gathering a few years ago Pat was asking us, quite seriously, what we would be doing as a career if money were no object. I told him that I'd probably be working in the UW sports office in some capacity. Figuring I would turn the tables on him I asked what he would be doing if money were no object. He said that he wanted to start a company that helped people find these dream jobs and make them a reality. He even followed through, sending me a link to a website that offered training for sports management and marketing. I figured this 70s classic was perfect for him.

Tim - Terry Jacks "Seasons in the Sun"Back in the day a group of us decided to go to a bar and sing karaoke. This is not something I would do unless drunk, and I don't drink, so there is a bit of an impasse. What I learned from that evening was that this is one of Tim's guilty pleasures, and that all of us sang it together.